1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing device. Particularly, it relates to a video game device which alternately switches and implements a role-playing game and a shooting game. More particularly, it relates to a video game device for a role-playing game including battle scenes of the player character and enemy character attacking each other within a virtual three-dimensional space.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As examples of software for video game devices, there are the likes of role-playing games and shooting games. Regarding the shooting game, for example, there is a shooting game in which a flying object (player plane) operated by the player and a flying object (enemy plane) operated by the opponent fly in each others direction freely and attack each other in a virtual three-dimensional space. On the game screen, an image of the enemy plane seen from the player plane is displayed. While watching this image on the game screen, the player controls the movement of the player plane within the three-dimensional space. In this type of shooting game which imitates a flight simulator, both the player plane and enemy plane fly freely within a three-dimensional space. Therefore, high-level operation skills are required by the player in order to capture the enemy plane on the game screen.
As a measure to solve the above, there is a game device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. HEI 6(1994)-58058. This game device is structured so the enemy plane may be captured more easily by limiting the movement range of the player plane within a certain range against the enemy plane.
However, upon the present inventor examining this type of game machines, the following problems were found as a result thereof:
Foremost, if the enemy plane and player plane merely compete for the results of shooting while chasing each other back and forth (e.g. damages to, or the destruction of the enemy plane or player plane), strategies of the game will become meager.
Secondly, because the movement range of the player plane is limited within a certain range, although the operation of the player plane will become easy, the action of the player plane will constantly be boring.
Thirdly, if the player plane is only controlled in order to follow or chase the enemy plane, it is not possible to select the action or weapon etc. of the player plane by predicting the action of the enemy plane or the type of weapon the enemy plane will use etc. Therefore, the game will remain boring.
Moreover, in conventional role-playing games that utilized shooting games therein, the processing of such shooting games remained boring compared to actual shooting games.
Furthermore, in shooting games that use conventional lock-on systems, when attacking a large number of enemy planes by locking on the lock-on cursor, high-level operation skills are required if there are a large number of enemy planes. Thus, there was a problem of the shooting game being too difficult for a player without high technical skills. In such case, it would be possible to set a program so that the lock-on would be simultaneously performed against a plurality of enemy planes. However, if enemy planes not seen from the player are even locked on, there is danger of the amusement of the shooting game being lost.
Accordingly, the principle aim of the present invention is to provide an image processing device in order for image processing to be effectively performed. More particularly, the aim is to provide an image processing device capable of performing a shooting game without it remaining boring.
More particularly, the aim is to provide an image processing device capable of performing a shooting game without it remaining boring while the player can easily operate the character (e.g. above flying object).
Another aim of the present invention is to provide an image processing device that does not keep the game boring even by limiting the movement range of the character within a certain three-dimensional field in a shooting game.
A further aim of the present invention is to provide a image processing device which makes the player predict the progress of the game (e.g. movement of the characters) and thereby making the shooting game more amusing by setting a means which reflects the results of such prediction.
Another aim of the present invention is to provide a role-playing game machine which includes the characteristics of a shooting game by setting a processing step of a role-playing game and a processing step of a shooting game in one game program.
In order to achieve the above aims, the image processing device of the present invention includes means for placing virtual objects within a virtual space formed within a computer system and proceeding the game while controlling the movement of said virtual objects according to input operations and predetermined rules, image displaying means for displaying the state within said virtual space on a screen seen from a certain viewpoint, and means for setting a movement field of a certain form for surrounding at least one virtual object and controlling the movement range of other objects based on this movement field. In this image processing device, wherein said virtual objects are enemy characters and player characters in a game program, it is desirable to include means for setting said movement field around the enemy character and placing the player character on the surface of this movement field. Furthermore, it is desirable that said movement field is formed of a cylindrical or hexahedral shape.
The image processing device of another embodiment relating to the present invention includes means for controlling the movement of a plurality of virtual objects placed within a virtual space formed within a computer system, image displaying means for displaying an image of the virtual object seen from a certain viewpoint on a screen, first processing means for controlling the movement of said virtual objects based on the software of a role-playing game, second processing means for setting a movement field of a certain form for surrounding at least one virtual object and implementing a shooting game program while limiting the movement range of other virtual objects based on this movement field, third processing means for outputting encounter information when a predetermined event occurs during processing of said first means, and fourth processing means for moving the movement controlling processing of said virtual objects from said first processing means to said second processing means. It is desirable that said movement field is formed of a cylindrical or hexahedral shape. Furthermore, this image processing device includes image displaying means for displaying an image including the virtual object operated by the player seen from a certain viewpoint within the virtual space. It is desirable that this image displaying means displays a virtual radar showing a relative position relationship of the virtual object operated by said player and other virtual objects.
The image processing device of yet another embodiment of the present invention includes means for placing a player character operated by the player in a virtual space formed within a computer system and proceeding a shooting game with enemy characters while controlling the movement of said player character according to input operations and predetermined rules, image displaying means for displaying the state within said virtual space as the screen seen from a certain viewpoint, means for setting a singular or a plurality of collision points to the player character and/or enemy characters, and means for setting a lock-on cursor in the order from the collision point nearest to said collision point set to the characters to be attacked. In this image processing device, it is desirable that within the enemy character""s collision points, said lock-on cursor only be set to the collision points on the player character""s side.
The image processing device of yet another embodiment of the present invention includes moving means for moving the moving character between a plurality of characters placed within a virtual space formed within a computer system via plurality of certain routes, moving route deciding means for deciding a certain moving route among said plurality of moving routes, predicting means for predicting the certain route among said plurality of routes, and character position setting means for setting the position of said character in correspondence with such prediction. It is desirable that this image processing device includes image processing means for displaying a certain image in correspondence with said results of the prediction. Furthermore, it is desirable that this image processing device includes position setting means for dividing the position in which said characters are supposed to be set into a plurality of areas, and in correspondence with the prediction results of machine gun predicting means, placing said characters in a position within said plurality of areas.
The image processing device of yet another embodiment of the present invention includes means for placing a virtual object within a virtual space formed within a computer system and proceeding the game while controlling the movement of said virtual object according to input operations and predetermined rules, image displaying means for displaying the state within said virtual space as a screen seen from a certain viewpoint, and means for alternately switching and processing a role-playing game and a shooting game, wherein during the processing of a role-playing game program, the movement range of said virtual object may be set at the player""s discretion, and wherein during the processing of a shooting game program, the movement range of this virtual object is limited to a certain field.